Thursday, October 27, 2011

In my humble opinion this is a vision to ensure that the Kenyan
status quo dominates the infrastructure and energy sectors up to 2030 and
beyond. It is not a people’s (Wanjiku’s) vision, but a vision to serve the Kenyan elite.

This vision is fundamentally wrong! In my view we should not aim to be a newly industrialized
nation by 2030, at least not when it comes to conventional industry, so as to
compete with China and India, when we cannot even feed ourselves. So, how do we get
there? We don't! We trash the vision, invest in social infrastructure to make
sure that all our people have food, can access quality basic health care,
housing, education, transport and live in a healthy and sustainable
environment. Invest in IT infrastructure so that movement of people and services becomes less necessary. If people can study or work from home (or near home) and transact online then we cut down on time spent on traffic and reallocate massive resources needed to build road systems into other developmental areas.

After that we develop a new vision 2050 to be the world leader in green
innovation, green energy and environmental conservation. This in my view is the
next major growth area on the planet. Already the west and the east have the
technology to take us there, but their economies are fossil fuel driven and
copious consumption driven and structured to be so up to and beyond the year
2030. They are ‘sitting’ on the technology. We should invite the companies that
have workable green technology to come and invest in Kenya. Our economy is
relatively easier to re-orient. For example we can easily have every car in
Kenya green by 2020 with political will and proper education of the people on
the benefits. We will then perfect the technology, create and develop the necessary
infrastructure to make it work and a market for it starting in Africa. By the
year 2030 when the rest of the world finally comes to their senses on the need
to conserve the environment, we would be uniquely positioned to export it to
them and become an economic super power. That is my dream, but all I see is us
going full throttle via the failing western economic model.

We also need to develop and implement a sound value system that will result in
transformational, positive thinking forward looking communities and visionary servant
leadership. Our attitude as a people is geared towards handouts. That is the
first challenge we need to address. We also need to realize that unity is
strength and identify leaders who will not be afraid of an enlightened,
empowered and united citizenly but will see them as a source of strength and
progress. Until we get rid of the current divide and rule leadership model we
are going nowhere fast!